Q Acoustics 2000 Cinema review

The 2000 Cinema speaker set looks stunning with its curved lines and white gloss finish. The oblong subwoofer is particularly striking, and may prove to be easier to find space for compared to the usual cube-shaped subs. The set is also available in black gloss, graphite and walnut finishes, with the latter two costing £90 less.

Binding posts for the speaker cables are recessed underneath the speakers, which keeps everything neat, particularly if you decide to wall-mount them. That said, the satellites shouldn’t be pressed up against the walls, as this would block their rear ports and diminish sound quality. Stylish wall brackets that keep the rear ports off the wall are available for £16 each, while freestanding speaker stands cost £75 per pair.

The 2000 Cinema set certainly aren’t cheap speakers but their sound quality more than lived up to the price. Music was rich, detailed and remarkably well balanced. Its precision and clarity puts many more expensive speakers to shame. Bass wasn’t quite as focused as we’ve seen some other sets, but it’s rich and full-bodied. Overall, the Q Acoustics speakers sounded well balanced and elegant.

The same trends were borne out in our Blu-ray soundtrack tests. The centre speaker handled dialogue superbly, rooting it to the screen and giving a full-bodied, balanced tone. It made speech in all of our test films easy to hear and understand. The rear speakers enveloped us in sound, and orchestral soundtracks mixed in surround sound sizzled with vibrancy.

Surround special effects didn’t quite leap out at us, but they were far from disappointing. Similarly, subwoofer effects weren’t as focused as from some more expensive speaker sets, but there was more than enough low-end punch to fill a normal-sized living room.

Opinion was divided in the office as to whether the Q Acoustics 2000 Cinema or the Roth Audio OLi 1 5.1speakers represent the best value. Q Acoustics has the slight edge for quality but it’s also more expensive. Ultimately, either one is a superb choice for both music and film soundtracks.